In the early afternoon of Sunday, September 4, 2011, a tragic discovery was made in a home in Baltimore, Maryland. Antonio Gregory Laws, a 31-year-old Black male, was found unresponsive in a second-floor bedroom of his residence in the 500 block of North Chester Street. An officer on patrol had been flagged down by a woman who was crying and screaming outside the home. Upon entering the house, the officer found Mr. Laws bleeding from multiple gunshot wounds.
It appeared that he had been shot while he was sleeping. Paramedics were called to the scene, but sadly, he was pronounced dead at 12:30 p.m.
Known to his loved ones as 'Tony,' Mr. Laws was the grandson of the late and respected Baltimore City Councilwoman and advocate for the poor, Bea Gaddy. His family described him as a good and smart young man who, after a difficult start in life, was getting back on the right track. He had been working at a restaurant in downtown Baltimore and was excitedly awaiting the birth of his first child. His sudden and violent death left his family not only heartbroken but also fearful, as the incident occurred near the Bea Gaddy Women and Children's Center, a place of sanctuary they operate.
The investigation into Antonio Laws' death is still ongoing. The Baltimore Police Department has not publicly identified any suspects or established a motive for the shooting. Years after his death, his family continues to mourn and hope for a resolution to his case. His sister has expressed her family's ongoing pain and the feeling that justice has not yet been served for the 'coward' who took his life. The case remains an open and unsolved homicide.
